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by Morgane (smilla840)



Series: New Beginnings [5]
Category: 24
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Post season 5 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2012-07-14
Packaged: 2017-11-09 23:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilla840/pseuds/Morgane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes up directly where "Going Back" left off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home

**Author's Note:**

> Final part in the New Beginnings 'verse.

Tony woke up to the sounds of honking cars and morning traffic.

Disorientated, he tried to make sense of where he was. There shouldn’t be any traffic to speak of anywhere near their house but the sunlight falling across his face came at the wrong angle to be from the windows in their bedroom. And he was lying on something hard – too hard to be a bed –, making his back hurt. In fact, the only familiar thing was the heavy weight sprawled half on top of him.

Opening an eye, he took a cautious look around and confirmed that he was lying on the floor – which consisted of a thin carpet of questionable cleanliness – in some motel room, and that Jack was indeed on top of him.

Right.

They were in LA.

Muttering a curse he let his head fall back on the ground with a thud. He didn’t want to think about that just yet. It was too early. Way too early.

He closed his eyes again, deciding to sleep first and think later, until he remembered where he was – and how uncomfortable that was – and decreed he might as well migrate to the bed and get some decent rest. He twisted to the right, trying to dislodge Jack’s arm and realizing his mistake only a split second later when Jack tightened his hold in his sleep, refusing to let go.

Tony smiled faintly. He should have seen this coming, especially after Jack’s display the night before. It had happened a handful of times before, when Jack had a particularly bad day or Tony was delayed in town – or fell and twisted his ankle. Jack would latch on to him in his sleep and refuse to let go, the emotions he couldn’t let out during the day coming out at night, and the only way out of his grasp was to wake him up.

Tony had never thought it had any significance other than Jack’s past coming back to haunt him – haunt them both – but he now realized he had been blind to a few essential truths.

Audrey Raines had never had a chance.

“Jack,” he said, using his free hand – the one that wasn’t pinned on the ground by Jack’s body – to shake his shoulder.

That failed, unsurprisingly. For someone who used to wake up at the slightest hint of a threat, Jack could be one hell of a heavy sleeper when he considered himself to be safe.

“Jaaaack,” he repeated, louder this time.

Jack tensed and relaxed, indicating he was awake and aware, and Tony’s hand moved to rub his back lightly, indicating everything was fine.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Well my back would appreciate it if we could move this to the bed.”

“What’s stopping you?” Jack yawned, his head turning sideways to squint at Tony who shook his head fondly.

“Come on. Bed.”

“If you put it that way…”

Jack stumbled to his feet, offering a hand up to Tony who took it gratefully. He stretched, groaning as his back complained loudly about sleeping on the ground – Jesus, he was getting old. Jack didn’t look as bad off, and no surprise there. That bastard had been using him as a pillow again, Tony thought with a wry smile.

He got rid of the remnants of clothes Jack hadn’t torn out of the way a few hours earlier and collapsed on the bed, enjoying the mattress and the feel of clean sheets. Jack followed, resuming his former position, much to Tony’s amusement.

He let his hand explore, tracing lazy patterns on Jack’s skin and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come swiftly. But his mind, it seemed, was wide awake now, full of the events of the past few days and filled with unanswered questions.

“Sleep,” Jack said gruffly. “We’ll talk later.”

And with that promise in mind, Tony slept.

 

When Tony woke up again his back still felt all kinds of wrong. Damn, but he really _was_ getting old, he thought before shrugging it off. Had to happen at some point, and the fact that he was still around to see it happen was somewhat impressive. The fact that he actually had someone to grow old with was even better. 

He could tell that Jack was awake next to him and when he rolled over, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he found him staring at the ceiling, lost in thoughts.

Right. Now might be a good time for that talk then – get it over with. He was pretty sure Jack wasn’t going anywhere, unless he had misread what had happened the night before completely – and he didn’t think he had. So he really wasn’t dreading that talk as much as he might have two days ago. As far as he could tell, they had two options. They could either stay in LA so that Jack could be close to his daughter again, or they could go home. Kim could visit, Tony thought generously.

Truth be told, LA hadn’t been home to Tony in a long time, not since Michelle and everything that had happened after that. But if Jack wanted to stay, well, Tony thought he could make it his home again. Home was where the heart was, wasn’t that what they said?

He propped himself up on his elbow and Jack turned towards him, smiling that loop-sided grin of his.

“Morning,” he said and Tony answered with a smile and a kiss. He kept it light, just the barest touch of lips – they did have to talk – and then pulled back to look at him.

“Morning.” He flopped back down on the bed, giving them both a moment before going on. “So. What happens now?”

“Bill offered me my job back at CTU.”

Tony nodded, keeping his expression neutral. The news didn’t come as a big surprise – Jack was very good at his job, of course Bill would want him back – but he was still angry at Bill for offering. For making it an option. CTU had already cost them both so much pain and loss that he didn’t want to be anywhere near the place – didn’t want Jack there either. 

Jack was not like him though – or at least he hadn’t been, before. He needed a purpose in life, needed to be part of something, and Tony didn’t know if their tranquil little life in Wyoming was really enough for him. Didn’t know if he would go back to it now that he actually had a choice.

And Tony couldn’t ask him to, not if he really wanted this.

If Jack did... well, Tony would live with it. He would still have Jack and really that was all that mattered. Even if it meant he found himself wishing – against his better judgement – he could go back to CTU too, if only to be sure that someone had Jack’s back.

“Do you want it?” he finally forced himself to ask and Jack sighed, rubbing his face with both hands as he pondered his answer.

“I should, but I don’t,” he finally said and Tony closed his eyes briefly, relief rushing through him.

“You’ve done your part, Jack,” he told him gently. “We both have. It’s someone else’s job now.” And it was. They had served their country for years and now they were getting old – too old for the job. They were allowed to be a little selfish.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed, wrapping an arm against Tony’s chest and pulling him close. He burrowed his face into Tony’s shoulder and Tony could feel all the tension that had accumulated in the past few days slowly disappear as Jack’s body relaxed against him.

“Home, then?” Tony said, stroking Jack’s back, and when Jack nodded back, free of any doubt or hesitation, Tony smiled.

They were going home.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at my livejournal.


End file.
